Super Bowl pick is ...

I’ll admit it, I’ve been a Steelers fan since 1972. I try not to let bias creep into my picks. So when I picked the Jets in the AFC title game, I did so without bias toward my team. Lost by 11/2 points. It’s been that kind of year, so many close losses.

When I take the Steelers for Sunday’s big game, know this: It’s not because I’m a Steelers fan. It’s because I truly feel that way. Some of you might say, with my 124-135-7 record this season, that’s ample reason to pick the Packers. So be it.

I’m not a professional handicapper, as some of you have intimated in your phone messages. I’m not going to lose my job (I don’t think) if I fall below .500 on my picks, as many of you have suggested would be a good idea. The gentleman who did this for many years before me, Jerry Magee, worked until he was 80. He wasn’t always on the winning side of the ledger, but many people still read his choices.

I’m a newspaper guy who makes NFL picks, not a guy who wants you to call his hotline for $24.95, offer you one side of a game, while offering the next caller the other side (that’s what they do, you know).

I didn’t hear many complaints when I was 142-121-4 last year, but I do like to hear from you, win or lose. I offer my opinion as someone who has fanatically watched NFL games for 40-plus years, has an interest in gambling and has a platfrom from which to write, that’s all. With that said, here’s the Super Bowl picks.

Steelers plus 2.5 vs. Packers: I’m a big believer in Super Bowl experience. The Steelers have 25 players who have played in the big game, some twice. The Packers have two with SB experience. I keep hearing that the Steelers secondary is suspect, but that’s been the case for a decade. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau hides that well with his blitzing schemes. Green Bay came into the playoffs red-hot. That extra week tends to cool teams off. And there’s this, the biggest factor. Of Green Bay’s 10 regular-season wins, seven came against teams with losing records. Green Bay even lost to two teams with losing records — Miami and Detroit. The Steelers’ four regular-season losses were all to playoff teams. The AFC was considered superior all season long. One last thing: Pittsburgh thrives on being an underdog — it comes from that Steel City mentality. The Steelers love to prove everyone wrong, and their defense is feeling a little under-respected this week.

First player to score a touchdown: I love this bet every year and have hit twice on receivers in the past 10 years, including last season with the Colts’ Pierre Garcon at 12-1 odds. Pittsburgh RB Rashard Mendenhall is a good bet at 11-2, but I like higher numbers, so I’ll go with Packers WR Jordy Nelson (16-1), one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite playoff targets, and Steelers TE Heath Miller (15-1). Those odds are high enough to wager on two.

Final margin: If you really like the Steelers and want to bet them, you might want to look at these odds. Pittsburgh by 1-3 points (19-5 odds), 4-6 points (6-1). I like that latter one and Pittsburgh by 14-17 points (12-1), even though Green Bay hasn’t lost by more than seven points all season. If you really think the Packers will win, consider these odds: Green Bay by 1-3 points (17-5 odds) and 4-6 points (5-1).